FDLE Officer Wellness and Stress Management

Question 1

What is Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) and when is it typically used in law enforcement?

Accepted Answer

A structured group intervention to help officers process trauma after critical incidents such as line-of-duty deaths, mass casualties, or traumatic calls

Answer

CISD is a structured psychological intervention provided to groups of officers who experienced a critical incident, designed to process the emotional impact and reduce long-term psychological harm.

Question 2

Which of the following is a recognized symptom cluster of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in law enforcement?

Accepted Answer

Intrusive re-experiencing (flashbacks/nightmares), avoidance, hyperarousal, and negative changes in mood/cognition

Answer

PTSD involves four symptom clusters: intrusion (flashbacks/nightmares), avoidance, negative alterations in cognition/mood, and hyperarousal/reactivity.

Question 3

Under Florida law, what benefit protection does F.S. §112.18 provide to law enforcement officers diagnosed with PTSD?

Accepted Answer

There is a legal presumption that PTSD suffered by a law enforcement officer arose out of and in the course of their employment

Answer

Florida Statute §112.18 creates a rebuttable presumption that PTSD in law enforcement officers is work-related, facilitating workers' compensation and benefits claims.

Question 4

What is 'compassion fatigue' in law enforcement, and how does it differ from burnout?

Accepted Answer

Compassion fatigue results from empathic engagement with traumatized people; burnout results from chronic workplace stress not necessarily involving trauma

Answer

Compassion fatigue is secondary traumatic stress from repeated empathic exposure to others' trauma; burnout is exhaustion from chronic workplace demands — both affect officers but have distinct causes.

Question 5

What is the recommended first step when an officer believes a colleague may be experiencing a mental health crisis?

Accepted Answer

Make direct, supportive contact with the colleague and encourage them to seek help through peer support or the Employee Assistance Program

Answer

The recommended approach is direct, caring peer contact — expressing concern and encouraging voluntary help-seeking through peer support or EAP — before escalating to supervisory or administrative action.

FDLE - Florida Department of Law Enforcement Practice Test

FDLE - Florida Department of Law Enforcement Practice Test

FDLE Officer Wellness and Stress Management